Chance the Rapper hosts "Open Mike" for young rappers looking to get started

Before Chance the Rapper performed at sold-out concert venues, he practiced his rhymes in front of an intimate crowd of roughly a dozen people at Harold Washington Library. Now the rapper is trying to return the favor, one open mic at a time.

In a YouTube video from 2011, Chance the Rapper is seen standing in front of a wall that reads "Your art is your identity." He closes his eyes and waves his hand as he performs lyrics that eventually became "Nostalgia," a track on the Chicago rapper's first mixtape 10 Day.

That was three years ago. These days, the 21-year-old hip-hop sensation is one of the people behind an ongoing open mic series, the third of which will take place at the University of Illinois-Chicago on Monday evening, as past becomes present. Chance has the nickname "Mr. YOUmedia" after the multimedia, youth-learning space that was an incubator for the talent of him and many others, including of Vic Mensa, Saba and Noname Gypsy.

"That place saved our lives," said poet Malcolm London, 21, of Chicago's Austin neighborhood. "When we were upset and angry that was our place to go. We went to the library to write."

YOUmedia coordinator Mike Hawkins, affectionately known as Brother Mike, served as a mentor to the aspiring lyricists, including London and Chance. The dreadlocked poet who told his proteges to "turn moments into movements," died suddenly in December at the age of 38.

"(Mike) gave us a stage, a mic, recorded us and stepped out of the way," London said. "He is still, in my heart, the most humble person. "

Chance and London set out to fill the void caused by Hawkins' death when they hosted the first free open mic night in February for high school students at the Chicago Cultural Center, a space provided by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. The event, named "Open Mike" in honor of Hawkins and sponsored by Young Chicago Authors, is expected to be held every other Monday.

After word spread on social media,, hundreds of teen artists made the journey to downtown Chicago from places including Baltimore, Michigan and from every zip code in Chicago in hopes of snagging one of the 299 seats in the auditorium, according to organizers. One young performer began waiting outside at 10 a.m., London said.

Wearing a shirt bearing cloud-shaped lettering that read "Open Mike!" topped with a halo, Chance found himself centerstage, emulating his late role model when he raised his fist to shout "Power to the people," to which the capacity theater of high-school teens who raised their own fists in solidarity, snapped back in unison "Right on!"

Chance performed alongside Grammy-nominated Chicago songwriter King Louie and local comedian Hannibal Burress. The majority of the 2 ½ hour program focused on performances from the teens, which ranged from guitarists to a public speaker emphasizing education reform.

"It was not about self-promotion," London said. "In spirit of our mentor, we wanted to collectively reimagine Chicago to let young artists grow at their craft."

Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune

Camryn Hutchinson, aka "Cam the Dancer", performs during "Open Mike," a free open mic night for high school students, at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Camryn Hutchinson, aka "Cam the Dancer", performs during "Open Mike," a free open mic night for high school students, at the Chicago Cultural Center. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Hoffman Estates High School students Renzell Roque, William Fernandez and Nick Delira, all age 16, counted themselves lucky to make it into the theater after a bout with rush-hour traffic. The teens, who who belong to a dance group called The Future Kingz, have auditioned for television show "America's Got Talent," and competed in the competition "World of Dance Chicago." But the group still found themselves awe-struck when they were called to perform in front of hometown hero Chance.

"Out of 290 (odd) performers, they called our name," Roque said. "We all kind of looked at each other, like 'Surprise!'"

The trio performed a hip-hop dance routine to a mix of music that wowed the crowd and even drew some "Oh's" from Chance, Roque said.

The trio earned a handshake from Chance as a parting gift, and Roque said the high-school artists were encouraged to network with each other.

"(Chance) talked about how he used to go to open mics before he was famous," Roque said. "He wanted us to connect with everyone in the room because we were the future leaders of Chicago, and we'd all be working together."

A second event was held Feb. 23 featuring Chance and rapper BJ the Chicago Kid.

The next "Open Mike" event will be 5-7:30 p.m. (doors open at 4:30 p.m.) Monday at UIC Theatre Building (1044 W. Harrison St.) room L285. The event is free, but a high school ID is required.

While this open mic likely won't have the star-studded visitors of the inaugural "Open Mike," (Chance is going on tour soon), London said the idea will be to create exposure for local up-and-coming artists.

"Brother Mike cultivated a space that provided alternatives ..." London said. "Who's to say out of a group of 500 kids, what 100 will create the next community of artists?"